Battle of the Heart
by Karren
Summary: Ranger and his men have been called up. Will Steph tell him how she feels before he leaves?
1. Chapter 1

Eerily quiet, that's how Stephanie found the fifth floor of RangeMan when she walked off the elevator. There was electricity in the air, you could just feel it. Something was up and that something was bad. Turning the corner that's when she saw it, instead of the sea of black she was so accustomed to seeing she now was staring at walls of camouflage.

Standing there she watched as her friends put on loaded utility belts around their army fatigued waists, their moods somber. Stephanie watched as Tank held up his gun in the air to check that it was loaded before placing it back in its holster. When he did so he caught sight of her from the corner of his eye.

"Steph" he said as he walked up to her

"What's going on Tank?" she asked as she looked over all the men standing there

"We got called" he said

"Called where?" she asked searching his face

"Classified" he told her

"All of you?" she asked shifting to one foot and then the other

"Its what we do" he somberly told her

"Ranger?"

"In his office" Tank said moving aside

Stephanie moved passed Tank. As she did so she began to read the names on the patches on the men's uniforms, SANTOS, BROWN it was all the ones she loved and cared for. Fighting back tears she made it to Rangers opened office door. Standing there she watched as he secured his utility belt around his waist and then clipped a strap around his thigh. Faintly hearing something Ranger looked up to see Steph standing there intently watching him.

"Babe" he sadly whispered

"Tank said you all were called up on some kind of secret mission" she told him

"It's bad Babe" he said

"When do you leave?" she asked him

"One hour"

"AN HOUR!!!??" Steph exclaimed as Ranger nodded

"You all will be back right?" she asked as alarm bells were going off in her heart and her head

Ranger looked at her with his blank face in place. Steph knew by his silence that this was indeed bad and some may not be coming back. Stephanie's heart fell to her feet as she realized this fact and had to lean on the door jamb for support. With tears streaming down her cheeks she watched as Ranger started placing things into his belt.

"Do it Steph tell him how you feel" she heard a voice in her head say

"No I can't"

"He needs to know. What if he don't make it….." the small voice said

"NOOO SHUT UP"

"DO it or you may regret it later" she heard

Stephanie continued to watch as Ranger got ready, slipping knives and ammo into the pouches of his belt, her heart feeling like it was held in someone's hand and it was squeezing the life out of her.

"Come on Steph" the voice in her head said

Searching and then finally listening to her heart she began to slowly walk to him. When she stopped her gaze fell from him to the gun on his desk. As Ranger reached for the gun Steph placed her hand on top of his stopping him. Looking up at her she placed a hand on his cheek threading her fingers into his hair behind his ear, brushing her lips across his she began to slowly and deeply kiss him. Stephanie gasped into the kiss as Ranger wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his hard lethal body, kissing her for all they were worth. Pulling back for lack of oxygen Steph fell onto his shoulder and cried.

"Shhh Babe" Ranger soothed gently caressing her which made it worse that he was being so gentle and tender

"NOW, it's the right time" the small voice in her head screamed at Steph

Stephanie's heart began to flutter as she picked her head up and looked into Rangers eyes. His hand immediately went to her cheeks and wiped the tears from them. Looking intently at each other Steph began to speak.

"Ranger I…I don't know where you're going and I don't know why but…." She said as her heart was thudding against her chest

"What Babe?" he asked holding her still in his arms

Not fighting it any longer she looked up locking eyes with him.

"I love you" she told him and saw his eyes darken just before his mouth crashed down on hers kissing the life from her

Tank walked up to his friend's office. What he saw stunned and shocked him. Ranger and Stephanie locked in a passionate intimate embrace, lost in each others kiss. Ranger's hands moved to her backside squeezing her and pushing her more into him if that was at all possible. Steph gasped and moaned as his body moved against hers as he bit and sucked on her neck. Stephanie wound her hand into his hair as Ranger kept up the assault. Tank was to come and tell Ranger they were ready to go but now didn't have the heart to interrupt his friends.

"HEYY Ranger ready?" Lester boomed behind Tank as he walked up only stopping when he saw the couple in their heated exchange break apart from the commotion outside

Ranger breathing hard looked up over Stephanie's head at the two men who were standing at his door. Tank mouth SORRY to him as Ranger hugged Steph closer.

"Babe I have to go" he told her tipping her chin up and lightly kissing her

"Please come back. All of you" she cried burrowing into his chest

"We'll try" he told her as he broke from her, picked up his gun, and joined Tank and Lester

"STEPH" Ranger called to her before we walked out the door

"Yea?"

"I love you Babe. Always have" and he was gone

Stephanie fell into Rangers large office chair and cried. Praying for his return and that also of her friends.

The END


	2. Chapter 2

AUTHORS NOTE

Forgot to add this: I don't own anything from JE or Roxette. I heard their song Listen to your heart when I had to go stay with my inlaws because of no power or heat due to the blizzard and I had this scene in my head when the song said I don't know where your going and I don't know why but listen to your heart before you tell him good bye.

Hope you enjoyed it

Karren


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